Samantha Lee/Business Insider Atlanta is one of the hottest up-and-coming cities in the south. It's increasingly becoming a destination for good food, drinks, shopping, and conducting business in general.

We found 19 cool, small businesses in the Atlanta-metro area that opened within the last five years or so — everything from a company that makes adult sodas to a bed and breakfast that doubles as an urban farm.

Keep scrolling to check out the coolest new businesses in the ATL.

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American Row House

Why it's cool: Rowing will work 84% of the muscles in the body when done correctly, and American Row House aims to take the effectiveness of a rowing workout to a studio setting. Founded by a husband-and-wife team — an exercise physiologist and a chiropractor — ARH is based on the SoulCycle model of exercising, with a supportive environment and luxurious amenities like organic coffee and eucalyptus towels.

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Brash Coffee

What it is: A hip, new coffee shop built inside a couple of shipping containers.

Why it's cool: Brash Coffee started in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and recently opened its second location in Atlanta's Westside Provisions District. But instead of a traditional brick-and-mortar store, Brash repurposed two shipping containers on a grassy patch in front of Yeah!Burger. With floor-to-ceiling windows and a sleek, modern interior, Brash serves ethically sourced coffee that the baristas roast in-house.

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Church Murch

What it is: A kitchy store spunoff from a church bar and ping-pong emporium.

Why it's cool: From the founder of the successful Sister Louisa's Church of the Living Room and Ping Pong Emporium — an eccentric, church-themed tavern and table tennis venue — Church Murch is the just-launched retail store by the same owner. Church Murch sells all kinds of bric-a-brac and tchotchkes from vintage choir robes to greeting cards, Bible belts, bumper stickers, and artwork by Sister Louisa's owner Grant Henry.

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Kale Me Crazy

Why it's cool: The folks at Kale Me Crazy are so crazy for kale that they put it in almost everything, from salads to wraps to juices to smoothies, citing the desire to give people access to real, healthy food. The fast-growing, kale-centric cafe has three locations in the Atlanta area and three more under construction.

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Mission: Escape

What it is: An escape-game adventure that involves strategy, skill, and teamwork.

Why it's cool: Building off the success of escape challenges like "Escape the Room" or "I Survived the Room," Mission: Escape has two settings — The Study, which involves recovering a royal gemstone stolen from the British Royal Family, and The Hotel, which involves escaping an inn whose proprietor is holding you hostage. Challenges can accommodate three to 10 people, including parties and corporate outings.

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Naughty Soda

Why it's cool: This isn't your average soda pop. Naughty Soda, as the name implies, is not for kids — each bottle contains 5% alcohol by volume, making it a nostalgic way to take the edge off. Naughty Soda makes a number of different flavors, including pumpkin pie, grape, bourbon barrel-aged cream soda, marshmallow cream soda, cherry cola, and apple pie.

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Nuracode

What it is: A tech-solutions company and collective of African-American programmers and coders.

Why it's cool: Nuracode is a collective of black coders and developers who develop code-based solutions including apps, software, digital marketing, and analytics and insights for their clients. Cofounder Iziah Reid calls Nuracode "the beginning of the response to Silicon Valley" — namely, the fact that there are so few black people in tech. Nuracode builds a community among people of color in tech and startups while creating elegant and effective products for clients like DreamWorks Studios, Sprite, AARP, and more.

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Revolution Doughnuts & Coffee

What it is: A doughnut and coffee shop that opened with the help of a Kickstarter campaign.

Why it's cool: Revolution Doughnuts opened its first location in Decatur on National Doughnut Day in 2012 with the help of a some friendly, crowdsourced doughnut fiends. Nearly four years later, Revolution has opened another three locations in and around Atlanta and remains committed to organic, local ingredients where possible. The family-owned and operated shop fries fresh doughnuts daily, with flavors ranging from caramel bacon to orange pistachio, to local favorite the "fresh peach slider" — a round yeast doughnut sliced in half and filled with Georgia peach wedges.

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SafelyStay

What it is: Guest and rental security checks for those booking vacation homes and stays.

Why it's cool: SafelyStay provides security and insurance to make sure everything checks out with your guests if you're renting out or your accommodations if you're renting. Most people who book stays on vacation-home or other rental sites like Airbnb or VRBO generally have positive experiences, but occasionally you hear nightmare stories of a guest who ransacked the home they stayed in or a rental home full of meth pipes. SafelyStay aims to prevent these situations from ever happening in the first place.

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SculptHouse

Why it's cool: SculptHouse combines strength training and cardio to help gym junkies get the bodies they've always wanted. Members use human-powered equipment to strengthen, lengthen, and tone their muscles. The equipment has a number of exertion settings to make the workout easier for newbies or more challenging for veterans. The studio was launched by former fitness model Katherine Mason, who also has a background in fitness fashion and uses it to curate "athleisure"-style clothing made for SculptHouse workouts and beyond.

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So Worth Loving

Why it's cool: What began as an inspirational Tumblr blog quickly grew into a viable, and equally inspirational, business. So Worth Loving makes custom apparel, accessories, and gifts that are expressive, empowering, and uplifting. SWL believes that fashion is "the most iconic way to make a statement," and supports this with quality — and comfy — gear bearing phrases like "you are so worth loving," "love you / love people," and "worthy crew."

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Staplehouse

What it is: A fine-dining restaurant that benefits restaurant workers in crisis.

Why it's cool: When Jen Hidinger lost her husband Ryan, a chef, to cancer, she was so moved by the support of the restaurant industry in trying to help the couple fight their battle that she wanted to pay it forward to other restaurant workers in crisis. Staplehouse opened last year as the for-profit subsidiary of The Giving Kitchen, a nonprofit that provides emergency assistance to restaurant workers in the Atlanta area. The restaurant serves a rotating, seasonal, à la carte menu and a five-course chef's tasting menu five nights a week.

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Sugarboo & Co.

Why it's cool: Named for the owners' children's nicknames, Sugarboo & Co. are "dealers in whimsy," including dreamlike pieces of art, stationary and other paper goods, home décor, and more. Designer Rebecca Puig takes her inspiration from nature, animals, antiques, children's art and folk art, and her family, incorporating elements of each into her stunning creations.

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The General Muir

Why it's cool: The General Muir brings traditional Jewish deli fare to the South. Named for the refugee transport ship that brought the owner's mother and grandparents to New York after the Holocaust, the two-time James Beard semifinalist serves Jewish comfort food like blintzes, brisket, and bagels and "shmear," but it's not a kosher establishment, with decadent options like the crab reuben sandwich or the double-burger stack with cheese.

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The Painted Pin

What it is: A bar, bowling alley, and industrial event space all in one.

Why it's cool: It's not just another dingy bowling alley. In addition to 20 luxury lanes, The Painted Pin is also a boutique bar and entertainment venue. It features no shortage of games and activities, including indoor bocce ball, shuffleboard, skee ball, ping pong, and darts, as well as a full-service bar. The spot also touts its "upscale alley" food, which ranges from wood-fired pizza to tacos and sliders.

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The Social Goat

Why it's cool: The Social Goat is a farm right in the middle of the city that also accommodates overnight guests, bed-and-breakfast-style. As the name implies, The Social Goat has friendly goats on the property as well as turkeys, chickens, and a pond full of koi fish. The establishment has six rooms for guests, ranging from the French country-themed blue room to the two-bed, one-bath "hog heaven house," which can accommodate both human and pet guests.

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Umenta

What it is: A digital ancestry site that helps people preserve and present their family's history.

Why it's cool: When Umenta founder Alok Deshpande's grandfather died in 2011, Deshpande immediately regretted never recording the story of his grandfather's life. He created Umenta to preserve history in a beautiful, digital format so the stories can be kept forever. Umenta's concierges interview you and members of your family, cut and transcribe the stories they hear, and build an online family tree full of photos, audio clips, and more. Everything gets recorded on a private website that only you and your family can see and build on as time goes on.

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Venkman's

Why it's cool: Comfort-food classics paired with a carefully curated lineup of the hottest musicians in rock music are what make Venkman's a venue you don't want to miss. Performers range from a Phish tribute band to jazz-jam groups to cover bands rockin' Led Zeppelin and The Who. The menu plays on southern favorites like roasted Georgia trout, mussels posole, BBQ shrimp, and cast iron fried chicken.

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We&Co

What it is: An online networking platform specifically for restaurateurs and food-service professionals.

Why it's cool: We&Co draws candidates and job opportunities from Craigslist, Indeed, Simply Hired, and even social media platforms to create a platform that connects those looking for work in the food-service industry and restaurants and other businesses looking to hire. Companies can browse prospective employees and view their work histories, resumes, and more. Candidates can create their profiles and apply to jobs directly through We&Co.